BIOREMEDIATION OF COLOR OF METHYL VIOLET AND PHENOL FROM A DYE-INDUSTRY WASTE EFFLUENT USING PSEUDOMONAS SPP ISOLATED FROM FACTORY SOIL

Methyl violet, a basic dye, is manufactured using phenol and dimethyla niline as the raw materials. It is, therefore likely that the waste ef fluent arising from such units may contain the dye and unused chemical s. Since such pollutants may be toxic, their removal becomes necessary . The studies were therefore aimed at their bioremediation using micro bial species. Four species of Pseudomonas, namely Ps, alcaligenes, Ps. mendocina, Ps. putida biovar B and Ps. stutzeri, were isolated from c attle dung enrichments and the soil samples in the premises of the fac tory manufacturing methyl violet, nearby Pune. All the four species of Pseudomonas were able to remove phenol and methyl violet with simulta neous reduction in chemical oxygen demand (GOD), total organic carbon (TOC) and ammoniacal nitrogen from the waste effluent and the removal was found to be optimum at the original alkaline pH (range 7.45-10.6) of the waste effluent, at ambient temperature (28 +/- 2 degrees C), un der aerated culture condition, at inoculum density of 1.5 x 10(8) cell s ml(-1) of the waste effluent and incubation period of 24-48 h. Thus, Pseudomonas spp. isolated from the environment of the dye industry it self and thus naturally adapted could be used for bioremediation of th ese pollutants.